Jennings
Jennings & Rall (J&R) is a publically-traded multinational conglomerate based in the United Republic of North America that manufactures high-technology products for consumer and defense applications as well as providing an array of commercial, financial, and security services to various clients. Although the company can trace its orgins back to the establishment of Jennings Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in the late 17th century, Jennings & Rall was formed by the merger of its founding companies in mid-1780 admist the financial crisis of the American Revolutionary War. Existing continually in one form or another for over eight and a half centuries, Jennings & Rall has been able to not only survive but flourish over the course of its history and has time and time again been listed among the top 500 corporations by publications such as Fortune, Forbes, and World Finance. History Pre-merger History Jennings Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Founded in 1689 by Jacob Jennings, an experienced shipwright, Jennings Shipbuilding Company started in the Blackwell Yards under the careful eye of Henry Johnson, owner of the shipyards. For over thirty years the company operated in the yards, up until its sale in 1724. Under the guidance of Marcus Jennings, the company relocated to the American colonies, finding work building small fishing vessels in a number of different yards on the east coast. In 1730, Jennings opened its first shipyard in Fells Point, Baltimore and gave the company its first true home. For over forty years the shipyard turned out numerous merchant vessels, many being purchased by foreign trading companies for use around the world. As the American Revolution began, the yard was converted to the construction of warships, including the famous Baltimore Clipper. Rall Armaments Corporation Founded in 1763, Rall Armaments was one of the few manufactures of long rifles in the world. The first products sold by Rall were all hunting equipment, its rifles considered some of the best in the colonies. Benjamin Rall developed several manufacturing techniques that allowed his company to produce large quantities of weapons for lower costs. When the Declaration of Independence was issued, Rall shifted its focus towards tactical weaponry, including the production of field artillery and more accurate rifles for use by marksman. After one of its factories was destroyed during a skirmish between the Continental Army and British Infantry, Rall suffered major losses, prompting it to merge with Jennings Shipbuilding. Post-merger History Jennings & Rall was formed from the merger of Jennings Shipbuilding and Rall Armaments in late 1780 in order to raise revenue during the American Revolution. Richard Jennings and Benjamin Rall began discussions of a possible corporate merger earlier in the year in an attempt to stave of the possible bankruptcy of both companies during a period of decreased sales. The merger managed to keep the company afloat as profits began to increase with significant restructuring undertaken by J&R. Following the end of the American Revolution, Jennings & Rall diverted its resources towards the construction of merchant vessels as trading resumed between the United States and other countries. The period following the War of Independence was one of growth for the corporation, leading the opening of Jennings & Rall manufacturing facilities in Boston and Philadelphia geared towards the production of hunting rifles and materials used in the company’s three shipyards. When the War of 1812 began, J&R was in a much better position then it had been only a few short years ago while the Revolution was in full swing. Able to convert its shipyards for the production of warships relatively quickly, Jennings & Rall became a major supplier of military vessels and naval weaponry for the United States Navy. In the years following Mr. Madison’s War, Jennings & Ralls weapon divisions had been in decline as its weapon designs remained unchanged for over a decade. An all time low was reached in the summer of 1834 as only thirteen long rifles were sold across the nation. Intent on rebuilding its once great weapons program, John Rall was the first to push rifled field artillery into manufacturing for use by the United States military in the west. By the start of the American Civil War the company was one of the primary suppliers of rifled canons for the United States Military and a licensed manufacturer of the Springfield rifle. For the first time in the company’s history, J&R stocks were traded on the public stock exchange and a Board of Directors was established. During the First World War, Jennings & Rall acquired Davenport Telegraphy, a small US-based firm that manufactured radio and telegraph equipment for communications purposes. 1915 signaled the start of the transition from US based company, to international conglomerate as J&R entered European markets. Over the next few years, Davenport would expand its products to include consumer radios and broadcasting equipment. However, World War II would bring about the most radical changes for Jennings & Rall as the company almost tripled in size and opened sixteen new manufacturing plants and six shipyards across the country. J&R revenues in 1944 were ten times those raised in 1940 and over twenty times those of the previous World War. Jennings & Rall had become firmly established on the world market after World War II, and was now expanding into Asian markets as countries were left in utter chaos. J&R constructed ships that carried thirteen percent of the worlds traded goods across the oceans and catapulted the company on the path to greatness. As tensions in the Middle East, South America, and Africa heated up, J&R was there ready to supply arms to both the current governments, and rebels desperate for cheap weapons. Despite numerous sanctions by both the US and UN banning the importation of guns into contested regions of the world, Jennings & Rall weapons entered the black market easily. In 2013, Jennings & Rall made the first merger in its history since the joining of its original companies in 1780 with United Technologies, the largest defense contractor at the time. J&R gained the companies ten subsidiaries, expanding its products for the first time since the First World War. Despite beliefs by both the public and media that the Federal Trade Commission would step in and halt the merger, the deal went ahead as planned, J&R becoming the largest defense contractor in the world. In 2016, Jennings & Rall was listed number one in Fortune 500, beating out Exxon Mobil (Post-BP Merger), that year alone receiving 29 billion dollars in contracts with the United States government alone in 2016, and 41 billion worldwide during the 2016 fiscal year. At the start of the Russo-American War in 2024, Jennings & Rall established Ravenwood Solutions, a private military contractor that fought in both the North American and Russian Theaters of Operations. When the war ended three years later, Ravenwood as well as the entire company was forced to downsize due to a major economic recession following the Russo-American War, a stark contrast to a company accustomed to growth during and after major wars. After the United Nations ascent to power, numerous governments dropped Jennings & Rall contracts in favor of the UN supported Misrah Armory, the result of mergers between Heckler & Koch, Fabrique Nationale, and several smaller European arms manufactures. In order to avoid major restructuring and the possibility of loosing a foothold in the military weapons market, the company acquired licenses to produce Misrah designs. During the Interplanetary War, the company once again took another leap forward by establishing offices on Mars and hiring out Ravenwood contractors to both UN and rebel forces on Mars and the Jovian Moons. Due to its involvement with hostile forces, Jennings & Rall was black listed and lost all contracts with the United Nations. Jennings & Rall would not work with the government again until contracted to do work on the Colony Ship Program in the early 2300s. Following UN expansion, Jennings & Rall managed to once again expand as several colonies were established beyond the confines of the Sol System. The J&R Infrastructure Division and Davenport underwent major growth as the need for entirely new transportation and communication networks arose. The company opened several manufacturing plants across the newly established colonies, providing jobs for colonists trying to begin new lives amongst the stars. Reed Biomedical Technologies was acquired by Jennings & Rall in 2368 as the research firm was suffering from financial troubles and an inadequate CEO. During this time period, Jennings & Rall established the colony world of Fells Point, beyond the edge of UNSC space at the time. The goal was to create several research facilities and manufacturing centers on the planet in a controllable environment. Despite plans to relocate the corporate headquarters to Fells Point, the Board of Directors chose Havre de Grace in order to prevent the company from ‘alienating itself from Humanity’. When Harvest was glassed, Jennings & Rall immediately received several contracts regarding the production of UNSC ships and weapons designed by Misrah and Reyes-McLees. The company built over 16 shipyards and opened 6 new production facilities in the course of three years, controlling a total of 38 shipyards and 41 major manufacturing centers. As Covenant Forces moved further into UNSC controlled space, several J&R assets were lost, the company moving into survival mode unlike many others who believed that the War would end soon. Constantly having to divert resources as colony after colony fell under the Covenant war machine, Jennings & Rall for the first time in years considered the possibility that it may not survive. Centering itself around the colonies Reach, Earth, and its private colony, the company continued to produce large quantities of weapons for the war effort, in many cases trying to overproduce in order to stockpile supplies in case of complete eradication of its manufacturing centers. When the end of the war finally came in 2553, Jennings & Rall was in a state of chaos. Over half of its main production facilities were destroyed in the course of the Human-Covenant War, and several corporate offices were out of contact, even J&R unsure if they were still intact. The CEO of Jennings & Rall was killed during the Battle of Reach, along with four members of the board when the Covenant glassed the planet. Its large stockpiles of weapons were the only thing that kept the company alive during the first years and were sold to anyone who could afford them. As its competitors lay in ruins, instead of promote their destruction, Jennings & Rall agreed to help the two companies get on their feet in order to promote competition in the future. J&R managed to secure two major UNSC contracts repairing damaged ships and setting up temporary communication networks on war torn colonies. Because Fells Point survived the Great War unharmed, the company was able have a central location they could restructure from, giving J&R an edge over other corporations. Subsidaries Kimmings & Stroop, LLC Kimmings & Stroop was founded in the late 1990s as a financial institution that would provide investments in both corporations and government. Its founders were both prominent employees of Lehman Brothers and American Investment Group before leaving to create their own firm. Kimmings & Stroop made several investments in third world governments to promote stability in regions once thought to be the worst on Earth. In 2008, Kimmings & Stroop expanded its services to make K&S a commercial bank, taking advantage of the bankruptcy of several large banks in the United States. After three years, the sound foundation that Kimmings & Stroop held as an investment bank began to show signs of breaking down, threatening the entire company as the global economic crisis took a turn for the worse. Jennings & Rall bought the company in 2012 after Kimmings & Stroop failed following the collapse of its investments. J&R restructured the company, and used its resources to create a new foundation to rebuild its subsidiary. Over the years K&S has evolved into the financial institution envisioned by its founders and has expanded through human space. Kimmings & Stroop offers several services such as emergency banking, allowing even the most remote areas to the financial world within days. Ravenwood Solutions Established during the start of the Russo-American War, Ravenwood Solutions is a private military contractor and also serves as the corporate security force of Jennings & Rall. Formed to take advantage of the overextension of US forces across the globe, Ravenwood forces were some of the first deployed to fortify key positions while the United States Military scrambled to react to Russian aggression. During the war, Ravenwood accounted for approximately 7% of total Russian casualties, and lost only 93 contractors, a fraction of total US casualties. At the end of the Russo-American War, Ravenwood totaled six thousand contractors, making it the largest PMC in American history. As the UN gained power in the post war years, Ravenwood came under the attention of several politicians set on restricting the operation of private militaries. The subsidiary shrank as both the public and media pressured Ravenwood to downsize. Due to the rejection of the PMC by the US government, operations would be limited to contracts offered in South America and Africa, areas the military did not occupy. During the Interplanetary War, Ravenwood had been contracted to serve as security by forces considered hostile to the United Nations, and several contractors were forced to fight for anti-UN groups. Due to Ravenwood’s involvement in the Interplanetary War, the United Nations canceled all contracts held by Jennings & Rall. Reed Biomedical Technologies Incorporated in 2196 by six graduates of Harvard University, Reed Biomedical Technologies was one of the first to conduct major research in the development of the direct neural interface and nanotechnology for use in the medical field. The company suffered under Kyle Reed as his poor investment of capital and inability to acquire major investments seemed they would end Reed Biomedical. After a major breakthrough in the direct neural interface, the co-founders of the company forced the CEO to stand down, the bold move saving the company as it gained precedence in the scientific community. The greatest achievements of Reed Biomedical are considered to be the development of the sterile field generator, a device that allowed for surgery to be conducted in the field by military medics, and the direct neural interface, integrating mind and machine for the first time. Over the years, Reed Biomedical scientists created several treatments for diseases once thought incurable. Jennings & Rall acquired Reed Biomedical Technologies in late 2368 for over 198 billion credits, the most expensive purchase in company history. J&R expanded Reed Biomedical Technologies, allowing the company to flourish in both the private, and government sector. United Technologies Corporation Founded in 1929 as United Aircraft and Transport Corporation, it was created by the by the merger of several major aircraft corporations including Boeing, and Hamilton Sundstrand. After the passage of the Air Mail Act in 1934, the company was fragmented into Boeing, United Aircraft, and United Airlines. In 1975 United Aircraft changed its name to United Technologies and acquired several smaller companies in the coming years. United Technologies gained influence in several markets, and rose to prominence as a major defense contractor in the years surrounding the turn of the millennia. By 2012, the company received over 11 billion in contracts with world governments a year, and raised over 124 billion in revenue. Jennings & Rall merged with United Technologies in 2013 despite the threat of the Federal Trade Commission, the two companies forming to become the largest defense contractor in the world. All of UTCs subsidiaries were put under the control of Jennings & Rall, expanding the company’s services from electronics, ships, and weapons to the wide array seen in future years. Sikorsky Aerospace Carrier Corporation Pratt & Whitney Otis Elevator Hamilton Sundstrand Davenport Electronics Founded in Davenport, Illinois during 1854, Davenport Telegraphy began its work in communication technologies from the start. Working with local municipalities, the company constructed telegraph stations across the west as towns sprung up across the frontier. Its first major growth would come with the start of the American Civil War, in which the firm was hired to string communication lines for the Union Army. As the company grew with new contracts to set up communication networks in major cities, Davenport worked to lay two transatlantic cables in 1903. The company invested heavily in radio technologies, but despite being one of the first to posses the radio, Davenport lagged behind others such as the Marconi Company. During World War I, Davenport worked overseas to set up radio and communication lines for the Allies in their campaign against Germany. When the United States entered the war, Jennings & Rall bought the company to build a communication network for its overseas offices. In 1931, Davenport Telegraphy was renamed Davenport Communications, and again in 1972 renamed Davenport Electronics. In 2043, Davenport established Kirstrand Entertainment, its first major foray into the private entertainment market. Kirstrand produced several video game consoles and media players, as well starting work as a digital movie studio. Davenport Electronics met great success as its computers, televisions, and even handheld PDA’s gained popularity around the world. As the UN started its expansion past the boundaries of Earth, Davenport was hired to set up MASER communications between extraterrestrial settlements and the seat of UN power. Davenport was employed by the UN to set up communication infrastructure in the new colonies and to build computers for the military, and even contracted to assist in the development of a ‘smart’ AI and FTL communications. Kirstrand Entertainment Technologies Amax Transport Technologies Established in 2413 as Jennings & Rall’s first step into the automotive market, Amax launched the Saber as its debut car. The Saber proved to be a major success in the automotive market, and was hailed as a beautiful contrast to the ever shrinking ‘sports’ cars produced by AMG and others. The company expanded its product line to include the Amax Roadster and Amax Kyoto, both considered great successes by the market. Over the years, Amax expanded to include the production of military vehicles, including the M1087 Expanded Mobility Tactical Vehicle in 2529. When the Human-Covenant War ended in 2553, Amax introduced several cars intended to be cheaper to produce and to serve the needs of both colonists living in more rugged environments and those living on well established worlds. The Amax Knight proved to be a highly popular vehicle, and also saw action as a technical vehicle in use by Jennings & Rall and several other private military contractors. Corporate Affairs Governance Jennings & Rall is governed by a both Chief Executive Officer Taylor Norman and a five seat Board of Directors. The current sitting Chairman of the Board is Alex Venuti and other members of the Board include Kelly Price, David Burke, Francis Tate, and Lindsey Sanford. The Board of Directors acts as a sort of legislature and carries out various responsibilities creating and amending bylaws, establishing Jennings & Rall policies, and has control over the corporation’s revenue. Members of the Board are elected by shareholders every five years at an annual Stockholders Meeting. The Chief Executive Officer manages the company and its subsidiaries as a whole and appoints subordinate officers who each have a specific responsibility to aid the CEO in keeping Jennings & Rall’s operating. Stock History Jennings & Rall opened 2569 with stock prices valued at 96.3 cR, the highest point in over thirty years, yet only a third of its value at the start of 2529. Its stock climbed steadily until the month of May, when its stock price went into decline as merger talks with Trinity Defense Solutions became strained, eventually hitting low point of 86.59 cR, and sent the monthly average plummeting to 95.61 in June before recovering. When Jennings & Rall’s stock hit 101.94 cR in March 2569, Jennings & Rall issued a stock split and roughly quartered the current price of its stock and starting it at 25 cR when the market opened in June. Jennings & Rall's current stock totals just more than 11.3 trillion shares and is held by over a billion entities from citizens, colonial governments, corporations, and even the UNSC. Following the Human-Covenant War, Jennings & Rall focused on increasing public purchases of stock and reducing shares held by government organizations. J&R stock is considered to be a highly stable stock, and is a prime investment for banks, companies, and private individuals. Jennings & Rall stock closed December 24th, 2570 at a monthly average of 29.83 cR, a gain of 2.36 from November’s average. 2570 was considered to have one of the lowest average stock prices since the end of the Human-Covenant War, but despite critics of the stock split and its affect on the company, J&R remained strong throughout the year. Market Share Jennings & Rall maintains minority stakes in a variety of markets. *'Private:' **Private Weapons: 18% **Private Computer: 34% **Private Electronics: 31% **Private Communications: 24% **Private Vehicles: 9% **Private Military Operations: 11% **Private Shipbuilding: 41% **Medical Equipment: 36% *'Government:' **Military Weapons: 14% **Military Computers: 31% **Military Communications: 20% **Military Shipbuilding: 30% Category:Delta Team Curt